Cotton is tough, hardy and flexible! The cotton plant is indeterminate in nature and can be grown all year round, as long as there are suitable weather conditions. The growing season is between 180 days and 300+ days. Central Asian cotton producing countries, as a region, have one of the shortest growing seasons in the world. Biotechnological research is currently under way to shrink the cotton-growing season to 120 days or less.
It's not accurate to say that all cotton seeds are created equal, but genetics might not have as great an impact as you might think. All quality parameters that determine the fibre's grade and instrument readings are largely impacted by environmental and agronomic conditions. In most cases, a cotton seed's genetic expression is either suppressed or aggravated by extreme conditions.
All agricultural crops produce greenhouse gasses during production. To produce a kg of fibre, cotton emits 1.7 kg of carbon dioxide.
But in its leaves and soil, cotton actually sequesters 2.2 kg of CO2, meaning it draws our more atmospheric CO2 than it emits. Cotton uses oxygen and CO2 to make cellulose, and since its fibres are 96% to 98% pure cellulose, cotton is the world’s best biodegradable natural fibre.
The skyrocketing amount of plastic trash is unquestionably a scary situation, and the calls to ban plastics straws and “cotton buds” are worth considering. However, note that in this context, "cotton bud" refers to the plastic stem, NOT the cotton swabs themselves. Also, many manufacturers have replaced the plastic stems with paper ones to minimise their environmental impact.
Talk about efficiency! Cotton occupies a mere 3% of the world's agricultural area -- yet it meets 27% of the world's textile needs. That's getting your fibre's worth! Globally, cotton's land use has remained relatively constant over the past 50 years, but the volume of fibre produced has increased. In other words, cotton growers are producing more cotton without planting on more land.
Additive manufacturing has evolved from a pipe dream to a hotbed of innovation. Cotton-based filaments are appealing to 3D printers because they:
The people have spoken: Whether working or resting, cotton is #1! The majority of consumers say cotton is the best fabric for activewear, and more than 2 out of 3 say that 100% cotton sheets offer the best night’s sleep.
Although about 80 percent of the world’s production comes from Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, the United States and Uzbekistan, cotton is grown in more than 100 countries – and it provides an income to hundreds of millions of people around the world every year.